Concern due to diabetes

Research from Diabetes UK has found that one in six people with diabetes who work feel that they’ve been discriminated against by their employer because of their condition.

A lack of understanding from employers can make working with diabetes not just exhausting and stressful, but also potentially lifethreatening.

Managing diabetes can involve taking medication – including injecting insulin at the right times and also testing blood glucose levels multiple times a day.

More than one third (37%) of respondents to a survey said that living with diabetes had caused them difficulty at work, while seven per cent had not told their employer that they have the condition.

A quarter said that they would like time off work for diabetes-related appointments and flexibility to take regular breaks for testing their blood sugar or to take medication.

Diabetes affects more than 2.2 million people of working age.

Missing essential health checks or not taking medication on time can lead to devastating complications and even early death.

To find out more about your rights at work if you have diabetes or for information about supporting people with diabetes in the workplace visit www.diabetes.org.uk/work Stephen Ryan, Head of the North Diabetes UK.